Unshackling the City
With Cauldron revelling in freedom for the first time in a century, Albaidan rule became even harsher as they desperately tried to retain control of Sasserine. Background Like its neighbour Cauldron, Sasserine was founded as an independent city in the Mocotan Region, but came to be ruled by the Albaidans. As the largest Albaidan city in Argyria, it had become the capital of New Albaida, and the base of operations of the Viceroy of New Albaida and the Continental Army. A mere two days previously, Cauldron had thrown off the shackles of Albaidan rule and had revolted, and with the pressing need to protect the city, its revolutionary leaders turned their eyes north, to Sasserine. More widely, Albaida was convulsing from a plot by the Scarlet Brotherhood to assassinate its royalty and leading nobility. Destabilised, the government was trying to re-establish control. Synopsis Chapter 1: The War Council Cauldron had been won, but the revolution was still not secure. To the north, the Albaidan army was gathering, and it was only a matter of time before it marched south to crush the revolt. An important question thus faced the revolutionary leaders: did they fortify and dig in to prepare for the coming siege, or would they be better served by striking north to liberate Sasserine? Matters were complicated by the fact of the competing interests held by the various revolutionary leaders. On the one hand, Cauldron's nobility such as Severan Navalant (the lord mayor) wanted to run Cauldron and preserve the city's independence, whereas many others such as Kallum Vanderboren, Heldrath Kellani, and Tetra and Sasserine Teraknian had Sasserine's freedom as their main goal. The council eventually decided to bring the revolution to Sasserine, and so preparations were made to sneak the heroes of the revolution into the city so that they could prepare the ground for a revolutionary army. Chapter 2: To Sasserine On the morning after the war council, our heroes assembled at the gates of Cauldron to prepare for their journey. They were to travel as loyalist nobles fleeing from the revolution. They were accompanied by Tina Meravanchi, who could lend credibility to their story, and were provided with borrowed wealth from Orbius Vhalantru to aid their cover. Setting off along the Mocotan Highway, our heroes were beset by lizardfolk bandits. To avoid detection at Castle Rakin, they took an old road and camped in the jungle at an abandoned house formerly used by highwaymen. As the player characters neared Sasserine, they came across a wrecked ship on the Thunder River. Tracking the footprints across the marsh, they found Ankhin Taskerhill and his daughter, Annah, being held by Bullywugs. Our heroes defeated the frogmen and drove off their leader, Bua Gorg, wounding him with an arrow through his air sac in the process. Chapter 3: Infiltrating the City Grateful for the rescue, Lord Taskerhill accompanied our heroes to the gates of Sasserine where they were challenged by the guards on the gate. For some reason, Cap'n Blackshanks gave away his identiy and ran off into the darkness, but the captain that night - one Manthalay Meravanchi - was sympathetic to the revolutionary cause to which his favourite niece had attached herself and so agreed to smuggle the heroes into the city in return for a future favour. Our heroes were placed into barrels and put on the barge of Emil, the Bargeman. They were noticed here by Blackshanks, who bribed the bargeman with 500 gold pieces to take him into the city, the equivalent of over 8 years' wages. Within the city, they were dumped on a wharf and collected by Verrick and Larissa Vanderboren, who put them up in their modest town house. Chapter 4: Revolutionaries about Town While the rebels gathered their army, much remained to be done in Sasserine, and so our heroes set about persuading the great and good to join their cause. Through persuasion they gained the help of Belrain Daskeral, Keltar Islaran, Annah Teranaki, Lux Seoni, and Ilthan Forn. While gaining the help of Neldrack Lorchester, our heroes ended up, completely by accident, in an arena fight with some Albaidan guards. Additionally, they rescued the notorious pirate, Pete Callaghan, from being hanged outside the cathedral of St. Cuthbert; disrupted guard activities; arranged for the assassination of Albaidan inquisitors by the Scarlet Brotherhood; robbed the armoury; and blew up a wooden bridge over the Thunder River. Chapter 5: The Battle of Sasserine A fortnight after their arrival, our heroes awoke to find revolutionary forces assaulting the city. They quickly set to work capturing Baron Raymondo, the commander of the Continental Army, blowing up his ship, and imprisoning him in their revolutionary lair. As the battle raged, our heroes fought their way through Parrot Island in search of the Viceroy, but he had already fled aboard his ship. Keen to stop him getting away, they used the remainder of their powder to blow up Teraknian's Arch, bringing down the ancient bridge and blocking escape from the harbour. With his escape thus impeded, the viceroy sought refuge in Castle Teraknian. Chapter 6: The Final Battle Fighting their way through tigers and guards, our heroes reached the top of Castle Teraknian. At this point, Cap'n Blackshanks revealed his true identity as Tegan Teraknian, rightful (arguably) king of Sasserine and the only person who could gain access to the upper levels to fight the viceroy. Mounted atop his wyvern, Diego Montego d'Albaida proved a formidable foe. However, our heroes brought down his dragon and killed the viceroy himself, throwing down through the roof and into the chamber below. As the characters picked up the pieces, Sasserine and Tetra Teraknian burst in, each hoping to claim the glory of killing the viceroy for themselves. Disheartened that they had been beaten to it, they left. Aftermath The battle was over and the revolutionaries had won the day. However, a cruel twist was yet to come. A storm summoned by Belrain Daskeral severely damaged the city, and in trying to negotiate with the leader of Sasserine's new trade union, Tegan Teraknian caused a general strike! The city needed to be repaired, but now lacked the workforce to do it. Cast of Characters Allies *Thirifane Rhiavadi *Darius Balthazar *Embril Aloustinai *Augustine Meravanchi Jr. *Sasserine Teraknian *Caterina Teraknian *Tetra Teraknian *Kallum Vanderboren *Heldrath Kellani *Roger Kellani *Verrick Vanderboren *Larissa Vanderboren *Manthalay Meravanchi *Ilthan Forn *Worrin Lidu *Neldrack Lorchester *Keltar Islaran *Annah Teranaki *Lux Seoni *Emil Dracktus *Anteki Alresian *Luigi Gotti *Belrain Daskeral *Noltus Innersol *Jenya Urikas *Cassandra "Cassie" Callinica *Ronan of Stetenford Enemies *Diego Montego d'Albaida *Raymondo del Raymondo *Bua Gorg Other NPCs *Ankhin Taskerhill *Annah Taskerhill *"Slipknot" Pete *Vanthus Vanderboren *Lavinia Vanderboren Monsters *Giant Frog *Djinni *Bearded Devil (Barbazu) *Bullywugs *Dread Guards *River Trolls *Dire Tigers *Terror Birds *Wyverns Locations *Rythiae *Argyria *Mocotan Region *Cauldron *Mocotan Highway *Thunder River *Mocotan Jungle *Sasserine **Azure DIstrict **Castle Teraknian **Champions' Town **Cudgel District ***St. Cuthbert's Cathedral, Sasserine **Merchants' Town **Noble Borough ***Witchwardens' Tower **Parrot Island **Royal District **Sunrise **Teraknian's Arch Category:Adventure Category:Rise of Sasserine Category:Homebrew Adventure